Before the game started, all eyes were on Inter Miami’s lineup. There was a lot of curiosity surrounding whether Lionel Messi would make his debut or not. Despite not being in the starting eleven, Messi was named on the bench. Expectations of him making a direct impact were perhaps not too high, especially given the short time since his arrival. Messi made his appearance on the field in the 55th minute of the match, replacing Thomas Aboleda.
However, Messi couldn’t turn the tide in favor of Inter Miami. The team fell behind in the 78th minute with a goal by Alvaro Barreal, and despite their efforts, Miami couldn’t make a comeback. They ultimately lost to Cincinnati with a score of 1-0. With this defeat, Inter Miami’s dreams of making it to the playoffs in Major League Soccer (MLS) were also dashed.
Due to a hamstring injury, Messi had been absent from the previous six matches. In the one match he played before this, he was on the field for only 36 minutes. His absence in these crucial matches may have been a key factor in Inter Miami’s fate. The team managed to win only one of those matches in which Messi did not play. However, even after returning from injury, Messi’s performance on the field was limited. During the time he spent on the field, he contributed with two free-kick attempts, both of which were saved by the Cincinnati goalkeeper in just 58 minutes of playtime.
After this loss, Inter Miami had 9 wins, 6 draws, and 17 losses, accumulating 33 points from 32 matches and remained at the 14th position in the standings. Even if they manage to earn a maximum of 6 points from their remaining two matches, it will not be enough to secure a playoff spot for Inter Miami. The improbable dream of making it to the MLS playoffs, which Messi had initiated upon his arrival, has now come to an end. Although there might have been different circumstances if Messi had not been injured and had played in more matches, that hope has now faded away.
In their remaining two matches in MLS, Inter Miami has no more chances to bring back their playoff hopes. Their next match is scheduled for October 18th, but Messi won’t be part of it. Instead, he will be with the national team for the World Cup qualifiers. On October 18th, Argentina will face Peru in the World Cup qualifiers.
